Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer, August 28, 2013
One day. That's all that stands between us and the start of Big Ten football. Indiana (Indiana State) and Minnesota (UNLV) get things started for the Big Ten on Thursday on BTN/BTN2Go. To help count down the days to kickoff, BTN.com has been ranking the top 25 players. Well, we've reached No. 1. Hope you enjoyed the countdown!
No. 1: Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State
There may be no more dynamic of a player in the nation that the electrifying Miller. He ran and passed the Buckeyes to a 12-0 mark in 2012 en route to compiling a school-record 3,310 yards of offense and a fifth-place finish in the Heisman Trophy voting. Now, Miller may be the premier Heisman candidate entering the 2013 season. In 2012, Miller threw for 2,039 yards and 15 touchdowns and rushed for a school-quarterback record (and second-most in Big Ten history) 1,271 yards and 13 touchdowns on the way to earning the Silver Football from the Chicago Tribune as the Big Ten MVP.
View's Miller's career passing stats:
Year | Team | G | Cmp | Att | Comp % | Yds | Yd/A | TDs | Int | Sacked | Yds |
2011 | OhioSt | 12 | 85 | 157 | 54.1 | 1159 | 7.4 | 13 | 4 | 39 | 207 |
2012 | OhioSt | 12 | 148 | 254 | 58.3 | 2039 | 8.0 | 15 | 6 | 28 | 174 |
Career | 24 | 233 | 411 | 56.7 | 3198 | 7.8 | 28 | 10 | 67 | 381 |
And rushing stats:
Year | Team | G | Rush | Yds | Yd/Rush | TDs |
2011 | OhioSt | 12 | 159 | 715 | 4.5 | 7 |
2012 | OhioSt | 12 | 227 | 1271 | 5.6 | 13 |
Career | 24 | 386 | 1986 | 5.1 | 20 |
BTN.com?s top 25 players of 2013
1. Braxton Miller, QB, Ohio State
2. Taylor Lewan, OT, Michigan
3. Taylor Martinez, QB, Nebraska
4. Ryan Shazier, LB, Ohio State
5. Venric Mark, RB, Northwestern
6. Bradley Roby, CB, Ohio State
7. Allen Robinson, WR, Penn State
8. Devin Gardner, QB, Michigan
9. Chris Borland, LB, Wisconsin
10. Max Bullough, LB, Michigan State
11. Ra'Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota
12. Kenny Bell, WR, Nebraska
13. Tyler Scott, DE, Northwestern
14. Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska
15. Brandon Vitabile, C, Northwestern
16. Jack Mewhort, OT, Ohio State
17. Kain Colter, QB, Northwestern
18. Jared Abbrederis, WR, Wisconsin
19. Spencer Long, G, Nebraska
20. Darqueze Dennard, CB, Michigan State
21. Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin
22. Deion Barnes, DE, Penn State
23. Isaiah Lewis, S, Michigan State
24. James White, RB, Wisconsin
25. Anthony Hitchens, LB, Iowa